1943 Error Lincoln 1 cent, PCGS AU58. Struck on Silver dime planchet. 1943 1c Lincoln Cent Struck on Silver 10c Planchet, Mint Error. Error coins are one of the more fascinating and rewarding areas of numismatics that one can pursue. With millions and even billions of pieces produced each year by the United States Mint, a myriad of different types of errors can occur. While some of these are subtle and rather ordinary, many are dramatic and extremely rare. The piece seen here is of the latter variety. This extremely interesting type of error is considered a “wrong planchet” error.

According to the 2010 “A Guide Book to United States Coins” (commonly referred to as “The Red Book”), this type of error occurs when a coin is struck on a planchet intended for another denomination or of the wrong metal. The dramatic error piece offered here features a Lincoln cent struck on a silver dime planchet. What makes this error even more spectacular and intriguing is that during 1943 due to a shortage of copper resulting from the war effort, cents were struck on zinc-coated steel. By 1944, the recovery and recycling of cartridge cases allowed for the striking of cents in copper to resume.

This spectacular cent is somewhat softly struck but still maintains the vast majority of the design detail. Wear is extremely light overall with just hints of contact present and the surfaces are pleasing and lustrous. Wrong planchet coins are certainly among the most highly prized by error collectors and the added appeal of being a World War II issue elevates this piece even further assuring it will take a center position within a prominent collection. A remarkable find!!!